tan increasing, and the cyclone began weakening as it remained just off the coast. Between 1100 and 1200 UTC on May 20, Laila made landfall near Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh. Preparations and impact Sri Lanka Cyclone Laila displaced nearly 280,000 people, triggering floods, delaying flights and submerging many areas of capital Colombo. The indirect impact of the cyclone was compounded as heavy pre-monsoonal showers set in over parts of the country as the storm developed over the Bay of Bengal. The Sri Lanka air force helicopters and navy vessels were pressed into service to ferry stranded passengers from Colombo to the international airport after parts of the connecting roads were washed away. All international and domestic flights were either delayed or cancelled because of heavy rain. Colombo experienced 350 mm of rain over the last five days ending May 20. Thousands of passengers were also stranded after railway tracks were flooded across the country. Several train stations had to suspend operations. The Lankan Parliament, located in a Colombo suburb, was adjourned after an adjoining lake threatened to overflow and flood the premises. The weather conditions experienced were caused after Sri Lanka was hit by 'feeder bands' (clouds on the outer spirals of a cyclone but connected to its centre) of the cyclone as it moved up the Indian east coast. India Andhra Pradesh Early in the duration of the cyclone, the IMD noted the potential for heavy rainfall and gusty winds along the coast of Andhra Pradesh. The agency advised fishermen to avoid being in open seas. Additionally, the agency contacted state governments in the region to warn of the storm's threat. The weather office has stated that the cyclone will not have an effect on the monsoon season. Cyclone Laila battered Ongole town; it received heavy rain of 320 mm on May 20 and 142 mm on May 21, and has made rivulets like Gundlakamma, Addavagu and Pothurajukalva swollen. Addanki received the highest rainfall of 522 mm, followed by Maddipadu with 510 mm and Kothapatnam in 24 hours on May 21. The cyclone caused heavy destruction in Prakasam, Krishna and Guntur districts and preliminary reports prepared by the State government put the loss at over Rs 500 crore. According to a BBC report, Cyclone Laila was the worst storm to hit Andhra Pradesh in 14 years. Tamil Nadu Nine people were killed in rain related incidents in Tamil Nadu, as